Seats For Sale While Passengers Are Still Stranded?

With thousands of ash people still stranded, you’d think flights this week on major trans-Atlantic routes couldn’t possibly have empty seats. Yet airlines are offering seats for sale at high prices.

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Up in the air–almost. Travelers waiting in line at JFK on Wednesday.

Carriers say backlogs of stranded passengers are clearing quickly and flights that have taken off have had lots of no-shows. Recovery has gone quickly because so many trips were canceled – many customers didn’t need their return seats because they never departed in the first place, or simply don’t want to start new trips now with lots of uncertainty still in the air.

So after blocking sales of new tickets, airlines are now opening some flights to new ticket purchases, even flights on Thursday, Friday and this weekend when you’d think people stuck by the volcanic ash shutdown would be trying still to get home.